Aaron Poole, marketing executive, PML Group with this week’s Out \ Look on Out of Home
Virgin Media has transformed the capital city with a sophisticated, interactive and hugely innovative OOH campaign.
Dublin commuters, across rail, bus and Luas have been served a fun-filled mix of games and quizzes to engage their valuable dwell time. The entertaining OOH activations are part of the brand’s ‘Playtime’ proposition, setting out to brighten up the mundane with a celebration all the things that Virgin Media customers can do with the power of their services, connecting to the things they love to do and unleashing their play.
Planned by OMD and PML, and created by Publicis, the campaign draws attention with provocative copy – ‘Got time to play a game?’ – and encompasses word searches with hidden games and sports as well as visual puzzles featuring movie and song titles. ‘The Playtime Playlist’ also makes its debut, driving IRL to URL by sending scanners to Spotify to ‘Find your play’.
While displaying across standard formats, the campaign’s stand-out elements feature these and more appearing across a special series of OOH installations across Dublin.
Hueston Play Station
Dublin’s Hueston Station has been taken over and renamed the ‘Hueston Play Station’, encouraging passers-by to ‘Break free from the commute and find your play’.
Commuter squares, hanging banners and 6 sheets have decorated the station in the brand’s signature red with all live copy varieties featured around the concourse that consumers can interact with.
In addition, Commuter dPods circulate questions in the ‘Quick Quiz’ – turning the DOOH format into a thought-provoking quizmaster asking questions ranging from ‘Who was formerly known as The Artists Formerly Known as Prince’ to ‘Who polled 4th in Ireland’s 1997 Presidential Election?’.
Variant copy featuring QR codes display prominently which, upon scanning, link users to the station’s main hall Transvision to play the returning ‘Playtime Defenders’ game which stirred up a buzz last year.
Touch-interactive Bus Shelters
The games don’t end at the Play Station. Two special, interactive wrapped bus shelters have been deployed at locations in Santry and Knocklyon featuring a twist in the form of retrofitted touchscreen panels.
Bearing the copy ‘The bus can wait’, the shelters have been pulling in commuters to beat the best time in a slider-style game – complete with best time leaderboards that reset daily – truly realising the message ‘Break free from the commute & find your play’.
Our recent IMPACT Attention study revealed that 85% of OOH consumers believe innovative formats better capture their attention. 84% believed the use of these formats make brands appear more innovative. Virgin Media are exemplifying innovation across all OOH fronts – classic and digital – once again showing the unparalleled attention-grabbing power of the medium.
The September Reset
As we step into September, a time often associated with the return to routine post-summer holidays and the start of the educational year, it might be posited that consumers view this month as a “mini New Year”. The season is shifting, it’s getting darker earlier and the ramp-up to the seasonal shopping period has once again entered the back of our minds. The gears have shifted.
The change in consumer behaviour offers opportunity for advertisers. The move can already be seen in recent brand activity; Tírlan’s Avonmore Slimline Milk was recently spotted brandishing packaging with ‘Reset’ and ‘Refocus’ along its front, seeing the month as a time to get back on track after the summer months.
To add support to the the notion of a ‘September Reset’, we recently included a series of exploratory questions in our ongoing iQ research with Ipsos B&A. Unsurprisingly, the initial results showed 57% see September as a time to set new goals, change habits or take on new hobbies.
Interestingly, this sentiment is particularly strong among women, with 65% indicating that they embrace September as a period for resetting their ambitions. The age group most inclined to adopt this mindset is 25-34-year-olds, where a notable 64% view September as a fresh start. This supports the OOH opportunity for brands to engage with audiences eager to realign their focus and energies as they transition out of the summer.
Focus Areas: Health, Career, and Home
When it comes to the types of goals and activities people focus on during this time, health and fitness emerge as the frontrunner, with 50% of respondents prioritising this area. Notably, those aged 35-44 lead the charge, with 61% concentrating on improving their health and wellness as they enter September.
Career development also ranks highly, particularly among the 25-34 age group, where 41% are looking to advance their professional lives. Educational pursuits and personal hobbies follow closely, each resonating with a range of 28-37% of respondents, depending on the demographic. Family and home improvements are also on the radar, especially for those aged 25-34, 45% of whom are dedicating time to enhancing their living environments.
Attention on OOH
As people set their sights on new goals, the influence of Outdoor formats on purchasing decisions becomes increasingly relevant. Our data shows that 1 in 3 respondents find Bus Shelters, and other Outdoor formats as being influential on September Reset purchasing decisions. This figure jumps to 42% among the 25-34 age group, highlighting the continued importance of OOH in reaching consumers at pivotal moments of decision-making. Moreover, 11% of respondents find outdoor ads most influential, with this impact being most pronounced among those aged 35-44.
For brands, September represents a prime opportunity to tap into the collective mindset of renewal. The same attention paid towards personal health, growth and home improvement are likely to resonate deeply with consumers. Leveraging OOH and effective targeting tools including PML Group’s MAPS platform and LIVEPOSTER dynamic DOOH can be a powerful way to connect with audiences who are actively seeking products and services that support their new goals.
In essence, September should be approached with the same strategic consideration as the New Year. By understanding the goals and motivations of consumers during this time, brands can craft messages that not only capture attention but also drive meaningful engagement as people reset ahead of the year’s home stretch.
For more information contact info@pmlgroup.ie.
